Love Sick
by sunlitsadness
Summary: Everyone has had the flu so bad it made them regret the day they were born. I just never thought it'd happen to me; because, I mean, I'm half-vampire. I'm a hybrid for god's sake.
1. Chapter 1

Jake and I lay in our meadow, his arms around me and my head on his chest. My fingertips trace circles on his chest; his hand that's not around me runs through my hair. The sun is shining, a rare occasion in the spring in Forks, and we've been laying in our meadow, on a quilt, for the past three hours. Occasionally making out, but mostly just dozing.

I turn my head so my chin is on his chest, and I look up at him. His tan skin is glowing in the sunlight, his black hair appearing shiny. He feels my gaze on him and his eyes flutter open. "What?" he questions quietly, amusement in his squinting eyes.

"Nothing," I smile, "you just look so perfect."

He chuckles, shaking his head. "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"Liar." I grin, not able to stop the blush rising to my cheeks. Honestly though, how can even say that? Has he _seen_ my family? They're perfect.

Jake props himself up on an elbow, pulling my face to his. His lips press against mine, as he ignores my comment. He knows I don't believe or accept half of his compliments. He doesn't want to argue.

Jake lets himself fall back, pulling me on top of him as we deepen the kiss. Our mouths move perfectly in sync as his hands lower from my hair to my hips and my own hands tangle into his hair. He pulls me closer until our bodies are as close as physically possible. The moment is so utterly perfect I want nothing more than to stay like this forever.

But I feel the need to stop, to catch my breath, reminding me of my inadequate partially human lungs. I pull away, sufficiently irritated with myself. I push myself upward, pulling Jake with me. We both gasp for breath, our arms still wrapped around each other and our faces only inches apart. "It sucks, doesn't it?" I whisper into the short space between our lips. "Having to breathe, I mean."

He chuckles, closing the space between our mouths in a long, thoughtful kiss. "A freaking waste of time is what it is," he agrees with an amused smile.

The sun is beginning to set, the air getting crisper. Wind begins to pick up and, knowing it'll only get worse and that I didn't bring a coat, we decide to head back to the house. I feel a dull ache in the front of my head and silently pray that it's not the start of a migraine. I get those once in a while.

It's a three-mile walk back to the main house, where I've been staying until my parents get home from their three-day hunting trip with extended family in Denali. They'll probably back late tonight. "Are you running patrol tonight?" I ask Jake as we walk hand in hand through the forest that we both know inside and out. I already know the answer, I'm just somehow hoping that I'm wrong.

"Yeah," he sighs, disappointment evident in his voice. "Not tomorrow night, though."

"Okay. It's a date." I say decidedly, kissing him on the cheek.

"Was that an invitation or a request for one?"

"Neither. It was a fact. I'm simply letting you know that you have a date tomorrow night." I informed him, pretending to be serious.

"Oh yeah?" He plays along, "With who? Is she hot?"

I stop walking and stand on my tiptoes in front of him. I pull him into a long, gentle kiss, and as we pull apart I say, "Eh, I guess she's alright." I skip ahead, hearing him chuckle behind me.

The big house comes into view soon enough, but the sun's already down when we walk up the drive. The garage door is open and we walk through, just before a light drizzle starts in the dusk behind us.

"We're home!" I call out an unnecessary volume as we enter the expansive dining room and kitchen.

"Hi sweetheart," Esme flutters into the kitchen, her caramel hair tied up in a loose knot. She's wearing what I quickly recognize as Rosalie's jeans, which they frequently share. Jeans are among the few clothing items Alice lets us wear more than once.

Esme quickly embraces Jake, and then me, asking, "What have you guys been up to?"

Jake and I look at each other sharply. "Oh, you know," I say quickly "just hanging." There was no way I'm telling my grandmother that we spent all day causally making out.

Esme smiles and opens her mouth to continue but Emmett- followed by Jasper-bursts into the room, interrupting her. Suspicion and amusement are thick in his tone. "You two were 'just hanging' out in the woods, for four hours?"

I nod, adding in small voice, "We also went hunting."

His booming laugh fills the house. "Sounds innocent enough, right Jazz?" he grins wider, nudging Jasper with his elbow. "But I think our baby niece had a little more fun this afternoon than Eddie would approve of."

Blood rushes to my cheeks, causing Emmett and Jasper to chuckle. Alice comes to save me, dancing into the kitchen; a vase of yellow roses in her hand. She smacks Emmett in the back of the head as she places her vase on the counter. "Oh, leave them alone."

"She knows I'm just teasing," Emmett grins, winking at me. "but Edward won't be." He finishes, ignoring my glare.

I lace my fingers through Jacob's, towing him behind me as I walk into the living room. I collapse onto the couch, suddenly exhausted. The pain in my temples is strong now, and I close my eyes, resting my head on Jake's shoulder as he talks and argues with Emmett about whatever football game is on.

At some point I must have dozed off, because now Jake is gently pulling hair from my face, saying that he's got to go run patrol, and he'll be back in the morning. I nod, only half awake, and he pecks me on the lips before leaving.

I sit up once the front door closes to be greeted by a steady throbbing in my head. I look around: Jasper and Alice sit to my left, watching whatever's on TV. Esme sits in the loveseat across the room, reading a magazine. I pull my phone out of my back pocket and press the home button. Nine thirty-five.

"I'm going to take a shower and going to bed," I announce, standing. I stood too fast and the room spins around me, my vision partially covered by black spots. I rub my eyes with my hands, fighting off dizziness.

"You okay there, Ness?" Alice inquires, having witnessed my unusual episode.

"Yeah, fine." I lie. My head is killing me.

I move up the stairs at an inhumanly fast pace, feeling bizarrely winded by the time I reach the top. I shower quickly, trying to fade out the pain in my head.

I climb into my bed, in my Dad's old room, knowing he and Mom will probably be home late and take me home. "Goodnight," I say at only a slightly higher volume than talking regularly. Several 'goodnights' are called from downstairs in response.

I send a goodnight text to Jake, not expecting a response until morning. He always crashes right after patrol, and he sleeps like the dead. My last thought before I fall asleep is hoping that my migraine is gone by morning.

* * *

I open my eyes to a light grey ceiling, still in my Dad's old room. My parents must not be home yet. It's only six A.M.

I sit up and stretch. Shit. Still got that headache. My arms feel almost sore as I pull them above my head. I feel off. I'm a little cold when I pull the covers off, feeling like a winter chill has seeped into my bones.

My whole body aches as I pull myself out of bed. I check my phone. One text from Mom, saying they'll be home around eight.

I shower quickly with very hot water, trying to warm my skin and loosen up my muscles. The second I turn the silver handle to the off position, I'm freezing. I can hear blood pounding in my head. And I hurt. Every movement makes my muscles ache. My whole body just _hurts_. What is wrong with me?

Is this what being sick feels like? No, I don't get sick. I'm a freaking vampire. I'm fully matured, but I've only been alive for eight years, and I've never felt less than perfect until now. Immortal beings do not get flus. They just don't.

I don't bother drying or even brushing my long, curly hair. I just pull the tangled bronze tendrils to the top of my head and tie them into a messy bun. Shivering, I pull on black leggings and a long-sleeved black thermal t-shirt. Still cold, I tug on sweats over the leggings and a hoodie over the t-shirt.

Skin freezing and muscles aching, I drag myself down the first flight of stairs. I glance at the wall clock on the way down. Seven A.M. Jesus Christ I'm moving slowly. Getting dressed alone must have taken half an hour.

I'm actually tempted to pause for a rest on the second floor, but push on to the next stairway. I'm being stupid, right? There's no reason that walking down the stairs should make me feel as shitty as I do.

I reach the bottom of the stairs, where Jasper is suddenly standing in front of me. "Morning Ness. It took you ages to get down here," He half smiles, but it disappears as he studies my face. "You feeling okay, darlin'? You look exhausted."

"Yeah, just tired." He doesn't seem to believe me, and he reaches up to the stair I'm on and presses his hand to my forehead. He frowns. "Rose," he calls over his shoulder to Rosalie, who I could see walking in the hallway. She turns immediately into the kitchen, dashing over to us. My head is still pounding and I want nothing more than to go lay on the couch, but I stand still. "Rose," he says again, "feel her skin."

My aunt, who is more like a second mother, follows Jasper's words immediately, placing a cool hand on my cheek. She her beautiful features twist into a worried frown.. "Oh baby, you're burning up! You don't look so good."

I'm about to answer when I feel another set of hands on my cheeks. "Ness, sweetheart, you're so hot. Are you feeling okay?" Esme asks as Jasper backs up to let her in. By now Alice has appeared beside Jasper, worry staining her features. Emmett stands behind Rose, looking confused. Great. Thanks, Jazz.

"I feel fine, can I please just go lie down? I'm really tired."

"Sure, sweetheart, come on." Esme guides me to the couch, and by the time we get there Rosalie has produced a thermometer. Ugh, why? I feel so unbelievably shitty and irritated, but I let them stick the thing in my mouth.

While we're waiting for the stupid thing to beep, the front door suddenly opens, and Jacob bounds in. "Morning. When are Bella and Ed—" he stops, taking in the tension in the room. "What happened?" He sees the people hovering around me and the thermometer in my mouth and he races to me. "What's wrong?" he demands, urgently. I would have told him, but the freaking thing is in my mouth.

No one answers him because the thermometer beeps, and Esme pulls it out of my mouth. She says nothing, but looks mildly horrified. How soothing.

She shows Rose, who says, "Should I call Carlisle?"

"What?" Jacob demands again, this time simultaneously with Alice, and Esme tilts the thermometer for my family to see. Mom and Dad burst through the front door suddenly, knowing something's wrong. Well, at least Dad does.

"What's wrong?" Dad asks, calmly. Well, calmly, compared to Mom who rushes to my side, pressing the back of her hand to my face, saying, "What's the matter baby? Are you okay? You feel hot. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

Esme cuts in, "Remind me, what's her regular temperature?"

"104." Mom, Dad, and Jake say immediately.

Rosalie winces like an overly concerned mother. "She's at 107 right now."

All eyes look down to me. "I feel fine, really." I assure them, trying to sound more energetic than I feel. "I'm just tired. I'd really like to go home." I say mostly to my parents, whose concerned eyes look to each other.

Mom frowns, "Maybe we should call Carlisle…"

"Don't bother him," I shake my head, "I distinctly remember than he has a hospital board meeting until eleven. I'll be okay." I look at Jacob, whose eyes are already focused on me. I look away from him; I don't want him to see the weariness in my eyes. Mom looks unsure and anxious. Dad, help me out here.

He does, saying, "We can take care of her, love. Let's just take her home and get her to bed. It's probably just a virus. She is half-human, after all."

Mom opens her mouth to respond, but I suddenly feel a knife twisting in my abdomen. I stand abruptly from the couch, feeling all eyes on me. I make a beeline to the bathroom down the hallway, a hand over my mouth; I move faster than I thought I would be able to. In the same motion, I push the door partially shut behind me and lift the toilet seat.

Falling to my knees, I promptly empty the contents of stomach into the bleach-scented white porcelain bowl. Which –fabulously –happens to be blood from our hunting trip last night. I stare in shock at the crimson pool directly below me, only vaguely aware of the bathroom door opening and familiar, warm hands tucking stray curls behind my ear.

I hold my position, on my knees in front of the toilet, not daring to move. Jacob rubs my back in slow circles as my stomach twists again. My hands grip the ceramic bowl tightly as more blood is forced out of my body.

When I think it's over I sit back on my heels. I take a deep, shaky breath, trying not to cry. Shaking, I pull my knees up to my chest. Jake stands straight, taking a step to flush the toilet as I lean against the bathtub behind me.

I look up him miserably; his face is an even mixture of sympathy and concern, his eyes hold fear. "Well," he tries to lighten the mood, "you probably want to stay away from elk for a while, huh? That's okay, we can go up to the Canadian border next time." He doesn't bother asking if I'm okay, he knows I'll lie. He does ask suddenly, "Are you cold?" probably because my teeth are chattering uncontrollably. I just nod.

There's a gentle tapping at the door half-open door and Mom pushes it open. "Ness, baby? Are you okay?"

"Give me a sec," I knowing she'll hear me. I stand shakily with one of Jacob's arms around my waist, keeping me balanced. Mom hands me a Dixie cup of mouthwash, which I take gratefully, needing the taste of stale blood out of my mouth.

She also holds out a glass of water, which I'm quick to reject. She almost looks like she's going to fight me on it, but doesn't. "Jake," I look up at him. "I'm freezing." That's what I mean to say, but it comes out like I have a severe stuttering problem, my teeth are chattering so badly.

He gets it though, and puts his hands on my waist, gently lifting me into a firm embrace. My arms wrap around his neck tightly and my legs around his waist. I bury my face is neck, feeling instantly warmer. "I got you," he says lowly in my ear as I tremble, rubbing my back with his hands as he carries me into the living room.

I don't lift my head as I listen to the conversations around me. Rose and Esme are strongly supporting calling Carlisle. _Dad please, can I just go home?_ Dad argues that he and Mom can take care of me, and I should be at home.

"Carlisle gets off work in a few hours, we'll send him over as soon as we can. Call if you need anything, okay?" Esme hugs us all as we say goodbye. Well, my parents and Jake do. I keep my head on Jacob's shoulder and my arms tightly around his neck.

They don't want to run me to the cottage, so Dad goes ahead and Mom drives Jake and I. Jake holds me the whole way, rubbing my back as I shiver violently. Mom talks mindlessly about their trip, trying to distract herself for the five mile drive.

Dad beats us there of course, and he's holding the door when we walk up the pathway. Jake sits on the couch and I untangle myself from him to sit on his lap. "How do you feel?" he murmurs in my ear.

"Shitty." I mumble back, honestly. His lips press to my forehead as he wraps his arms around my shivering torso.

Dad appears in front of us, thermometer in hand. He holds it inches from my mouth and says, "Open."

"Why?" I groan. "I j _ust_ did this."

"I know, baby. One more time."

I obey; irritated, knowing this will _not_ likely be the last time. I just want to sleep, for God's sake.

I wait patiently until it beeps, and then I pull it out of my mouth. Or I _try_ to, but Dad beats me. Mom peaks over his shoulder. They share a look. "What is it?" Jacob asks the question I don't feel up to verbalizing.

"108.6," Dad winces, like saying the number is physically painful. "We have to get it down, now."

"What do we do, Edward?" Mom's voice breaks, sounding scared.

"Well, for starters, Ness has to get away from Jacob. His heat isn't helping."

"I'm freezing, Dad." My teeth slam into each other, emphasizing my point.

"I know, sweetheart. It's because your temperature is so high. You have to get cooler to feel warmer. Trust me." He holds a hand out, trying to help me up.

I look back to Jacob, not wanting to leave him. "It's okay, Ness. He's right. I'm not going anywhere, I'll stay here and help out." He smiles reassuringly. He's amazing. I nod and let Dad pull me up.

The second I'm not touching Jacob the shivering becomes uncontrollable. "Are you wearing layers?" Dad asks in an are-you-serious kind of voice. Yeah, sorry. I was freezing my ass off. "Jake help me get these off of her," They move around me carefully, pulling off the sweats and sweatshirt off of my petite, trembling figure. Dad lets me leave on the leggings and t-shirt, though.

And I don't care how old I am, I will never be too old to let my daddy carry me to bed. I wrap my arms around his neck and he carries me down the hall as if I'm a small child. Mom pulled the covers back and he laid me gently, pulling one blanket over my freezing body.

They debate on making me take some kind of medicine; Mom thinks I should, Dad argues that there isn't any amount they could give me that my body wouldn't burn off within half an hour.

Even with the pounding in my head and chattering of my teeth, I manage to fall asleep with Mom holding me, which she insists upon because her cold temperature will bring my fever down. Yeah, okay, whatever. As long as she's happy.

I don't want her to worry; I don't want anyone to worry. I'll be fine, right?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN :**

 **Okay, here it is. Sorry it's later than I thought, I've been really sick this week.**

 **Better late than never, hopefully.**

 **I'm not going to lie, I had a really hard time writing this. I had mentally closed this story, so continuing was challenging. So if it sucks, please tell me and I'll take it down and leave Love Sick up as a one-shot. If by some miracle you like it, please let me know and I'll keep going.**

 **Thanks so much for** **reading!**

 **-Vanessa xoxo**

* * *

 ** _Jacob_**

Early evening light streams through the shades, and it's too quite. The conversation space that Nessie usually fills is empty, and has been all day while she sleeps. Bella and I sit side by side against the wall beside Nessie's bed, both of us watching her.

Her cheeks are flushed with fever, her long bronze hair a tangled mess that takes up the entirety of the pillow next to her. She sleeps deeply, with her hands tucked under her head and her legs sprawled out; the way she used to sleep when she was little.

"How long has she been asleep?" Bella murmurs, resting her head on my shoulder.

I glance at the clock. "Almost five hours. "

Bella takes a deep, unnecessary breath, and I know she's anxious. Edward is too, but he's managed to keep himself busy. He made soup and then convinced Nessie to eat it, even though she only kept it down for a grand total of five minutes.

He's been productive, unlike Bella and I who have been sitting in the same spot since Nessie fell asleep this morning.

"Don't worry," I tell her for lack of anything better to say.

She's silent for a moment and then says, "I want to take her to the main house."

"Carlisle said it's just a virus. And if she gets worse, he's just a call away."

"I know, I just… I want everyone to be in the same place."

I don't say anything. When Bella gets stressed, she turns into a control freak. Another thing she and Edward have in common.

Carlisle came hours ago to check on Ness, and he basically said that she's half human, therefore susceptible to human illnesses, and that this should blow over in time. His visit, all of which Nessie slept through, calmed Edward down, but not Bella.

Edward walks back into the bedroom, carrying a glass of water in his hand. He sets in on the nightstand and gently pulls the blankets from Nessie, prying the sheets from her fingers to pull them away from her body.

Her fever still hasn't broken.

She stirs, and then sits up, still half-asleep. Bella is up and by her daughter's side immediately. "Hi baby," she says gently, smoothing Ness' hair back.

"How do you feel, sweetheart?" Edward asks her.

"Fine." She says, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. She sits up and her eyes meet mine. She smiles weakly, the corners of her pale lips barely having the energy to pull upward.

Edward holds the water to Nessie, and she takes it willingly. She takes small sips, and Edward tells her he's going to get the thermometer. She groans into the glass in response and Bella laughs gently, running her fingers through her daughter's hair.

Ness looks right at me, her tired eyes burning a hole through mine. "Thank you for staying." She whispers, smiling her beautiful smile that lights up her entire face. "But Jake, if you have something more important you need to do, I won't be offended."

I shake my head in disbelief. The very thought of leaving her is laughable. There is nothing more important than her. No matter how many times I tell her, she'll never understand that she is the _most_ important. "Ness, I'm not going anywhere." I promise her, and her smile broadens.

"Good, because I don't think my ego could survive that blow." She laughs and then her smile falters. I recognize the look on her face a second before Bella does, so I grab the black trashcan from under Nessie's desk and toss it to Bella, who holds it under Nessie's chin just in time for her to grab the sides and vomit a fountain of water into it.

She heaves into the plastic basket even after there's nothing left inside of her, and as Bella rubs her back, soon the lurches turn into sobs. Edward returns and gathers his crying daughter into his arms, and Bella disappears with the water-filled wastebasket.

Nessie isn't a crier, so I know she's miserable. I've known her all of her life and this is only the third or fourth time I've seen her cry. I've never felt so useless. I want to hold her and kiss her forehead and tell her that I love her. I have to keep my distance, although I'm not sure it's even helping anything at this point.

Edward rocks her gently, as though she were a baby, while she clings to him. Bella returns with a damp washcloth and dabs Nessie's face with it, while softly murmuring the things that all mothers do.

Because Nessie grew up so fast, it's moments like this that totally shock the hell outta me: watching Edward and Bella be _real_ _parents_. And be _good_ at it, too.

"Thanks, Jake." Edward mutters, rolling his eyes. Nessie's cries turn to sniffles, and he detaches her from his shoulder and holds her in front of him. He wipes at her red, tear-stained cheeks and kisses her forehead. Or that's what it looks like, but I know he's checking her temperature.

Then he holds her to his chest again and mouths to Bella, _Call Carlisle,_ over her head so she doesn't see. That sends a pang of panic through my chest.

Bella nods once and disappears.

 _Higher fever?_ I think to Edward.

Still rocking his daughter, he just barely nods.

* * *

One hundred and ten degrees. We couldn't find a thermometer that actually went up that high, so that was Carlisle's professionally experienced guesstimate. From there it was cool baths and tons on Tylenol, neither of which worked any miracles. And most recently, they put an IV in her arm to keep her hydrated because she can't keep anything down.

Carlisle stayed all night, and at around 2 a.m. the rest of the family started showing up. Yep, Bella got her wish all right. I couldn't help but feel annoyed, but I had to remember that they're here for the same reason I am: They love her and want to be around her, even though they can't be of any particular help.

Nessie wasn't particularly thrilled either. She'd rolled her eyes and whispered to me, _Great, more people to hover._

And she was right, of course. Even now while she sleeps, her parents don't leave her side, Carlisle is always nearby, Blondie has been untangling her hair for the past hour, and I myself am guilty of slowly pacing around the room.

Alice and Jasper retreated to the living room, and Esme has been cooking since she got here, even after I told her that there was no way I could eat anything. Emmett hasn't even been in here, but I can hear him outside, being destructive. Jasper said he's too anxious to be in here.

Fear does weird things to people.

Nessie whines in her sleep, and every eye focuses on her. Her cheeks are flaming, and her hair is matted with sweat and water from the cold washcloths they keep putting on her forehead. There are dark circles under her eyes, despite sleeping being the only thing she does.

The sight of her is this bizarre contradiction of tragedy and beauty that would make your head hurt if you looked too long.

Every person in here is worried, and I'm trying really hard to keep my head on straight and tell myself that we're overreacting. But I look at Ness and I think, _how could this be the flu?_

I want some answers. Flu my ass. The flu rarely does this to humans; it shouldn't have this effect on Nessie. She's basically human 2.0. She does everything with twice as much efficiency as a human.  
At my thoughts, Edwards head snaps up in my direction. "You're right." He says; brows narrowed in concentration.

He stands up, untangling himself from Bella. She looks up at him, worried, and he gestures for her to stay, promising that everything's fine.

He motions for me to follow him, and then nods once to Carlisle. We leave the bedroom, but not before Bella gives me a puzzled look. I shrug to her and softly close the door behind me.

We enter the living room and Alice sits up from the couch. "What's wrong?" She demands immediately, which draws Esme out from the kitchen.

Edward waves her away her concern and says quietly, "Nothing, Jacob had an interesting thought is all."

They look at me expectantly. What is he talking about?

Seeing that I don't understand where he's going with this, Edward continues. "He was thinking that if this is just a virus, a common illness, then it shouldn't effect Renesmee even worse than it would a human, because she's proficient to humans in every way. But maybe that's exactly why this is happening."

Carlisle frowns in confusion, "What do you mean, Edward?"

"Every part of her body is more evolved. Everything happens faster. If she gets a cut, it heals within seconds. Her heart beats twice as fast—"

"So an illness would travel through her body much quicker." Carlisle finishes, putting the pieces together.

Edward nods. "Too quickly." I can see the unspoken words on his tongue, _Enough to kill a human._ He wouldn't dare say it, though.

Alice cuts in, "Then by that logic, whatever this is should be out of her system shorty."

Alice is right, this should almost be over. It has to be.

Edward opens his mouth to answer, but he's cut off by an ear-splitting shriek coming from the back bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

_Bella_

Rose and I soothe Renesmee; by some miracle getting her to stop thrashing and screaming without waking her. Edward bursts into the room with Jacob only steps behind him; I turn to them sharply, a finger to my lips.

Seeing it was just another fever-induced nightmare, their stances relax. My husband appears by my side as I stoke our daughter's hair, and he surveys her sleeping body for damage.

I can't help but roll my eyes. As if I would have let her hurt herself.

Jacob leans over Renesmee, listening to her heartbeat. I do too, and we probably both note how fast it is. Exactly twenty-four beats per minute faster than usual. With a sigh, I reclaim my seat on the edge of the bed, this time with Edward next to me; Jacob collapses into the chair by the window.

"Bella?" Alice asks from the doorway, doing her best to whisper. I pull my gaze from Renesmee to look at her. She sighs at me, "Honey. You have to get out of here. When was the last time you even brushed your hair?"

I shook my head in disbelief, returning my attention to my sleeping daughter. "I'm not exactly worried about the state of my hair right now, Alice."

"At least come hunting with us, then." Esme chimes in quietly, coming up behind Alice.

"We'll have a girls' trip," Rose whispers, putting her hand over mine.

A girls' trip. Without Renesmee. No.

I shake my head at their hopeful faces. "I can't leave her."

"Love," Edward squeezes my thigh and nods in encouragement, "go."

I turn and look to Jake. He gives me a half-smile and a nod.

"If anything were to happen…" I start, and Edward cuts me off.

"Nothing is going to happen."

"But if something did," I try again, and Jacob says, "Then I'll call you. That phone will be in my hand the second the second anything becomes even mildly interesting around here. I promise you that, Bells."

With Jacob's vow, I finally surrender. I kiss Renesmee's scorching forehead and then Edward's cool lips.

"One hour." I tell Alice as she pulls me by the hand out of the bedroom, and she rolls her eyes. "I'm serious, Alice. One hour."

"Okay, okay. Two or three tops."

I groan and almost turn back, but Esme wraps her arm around my waist and guides us out the front door.

The four of us walk, arms linked, as though in some cheesy movie, out into the dense forest. Like we're on some quest so great that we have to leave our men behind; really we're just trying to get a well-past overdue meal.

I only turn to look back at my house once, and relax when there is no one seeing us off from the porch or a window; because that means that they're with my daughter, where they should be.

* * *

 _Jacob_

Bella's only been gone ten minutes when the next nightmare hits.

First Nessie stirs softly in her sleep. Then she whines, which is the first warning. Edward puts his hand on her face and rubs her cheek softly with his thumb, trying to ward away the dream before it takes her over.

She whines again, louder, drawing Jasper and Emmett into the room. Jazz doesn't hesitate to come to his niece's side, probably trying to calm her. Emmett hovers in the doorway, nervous.

Edward sits on the edge of her bed, "It's okay, baby. You're okay." He murmurs in her ear, really more for our benefit than hers.

I grab her hand out of instinct, the hand with the IV still stuck in it (which is now not only hydrating her but flooding her veins with a fabulous cocktail of drugs to reduce her fever) and then realization hits and I quickly let it go. To hold her hand now would be to watch her thoughts. Her dreams. I can't spy on her like that.

"I do." Edward half-smiles, not unlocking his eyes from his daughter.

 _Really?_ The Great Edward, perfect husband and father, spying on his unknowing and innocent daughter's dreams? Impossible.

He rolls his eyes at me the way Ness would, sending an involuntary pang through my chest. He whispers, "Bella does, too."

Yeah, I figured Bella would. But Edward doesn't need to watch her dreams, he can see inside of her head.

"Yes, but her showing me is so much different than finding it myself. And I confessed myself to her once, she doesn't really mind."

"Are you talking about watching her dreams?" Emmett asks, and I'm amazed at his hidden ability to be somewhat quiet. I nod to him and he grins. "I've done it. But she caught me. She was mad as hell,"

"Has everyone spied on Ness in her sleep besides me?" I ask, and even Jasper nods.

"When she was little," he murmurs, shrugging.

That made up my mind. My hand completely envelops hers, and I watch her subconscious unfold.

There's a field. Our field. Alive with flowers and sunlight: every color contrasting sharper than it does in real life. Every detail is the same as it was when we were there just days ago, only better. Now I see why everyone wants to do this. In Renesmee's mind, of course trees are stronger and grass is greener. She improves upon everything she touches.

I watch us: Renesmee and I. We run, and laugh, and kiss. So much like the other day, though it feels like a lifetime ago. Like everything around me, I look a thousand times better in her imagination; I wonder what I did to deserve to be apart of this world she's created.

Like all of her nightmares since she was three and half feet tall, the party is crashed by a mass of figures in dark cloaks. The Volturi.

They circle in on us like vultures, and Nessie clings to me, but suddenly I'm not there. Her beautiful voice is screaming my name and I'm nowhere in sight, and suddenly this has become _my_ nightmare.

I let go of her hand and return to the real world, drab by juxtaposition, and I see Edward staring at me. "We should wake her up." I tell him, nodding towards Ness.

He shakes his head and whispers, "No, she's okay. You let go too soon to see the part where you save the day." He smirks, and feels Nessie's forehead. "I'm going to go get a thermometer," he stands. "I think her fever has gone down."

I lean over her and press my hand to her cheek, to see if he's right. I think he's delusional. She still feels hot.

When I pull my hand away, her big brown eyes open. "Ness," I sit on the huge bed, taking her hand again. "Hey, honey. How are you?"

In response, she groans and tries to force herself upright. Her hands gesture wildly, grasping in the empty air. I know this gesticulation all too well, and reach under the bed for the small metal basin Edward put there, and I hold it out to her.

She takes it from my hands and retches into it, her entire body convulsing. I rub her back in small circles until Edward runs back into the room; his eyes search rapidly and settle on Ness, his panicky expression morphing into a defeated frown. He sighs and takes his position on Nessie's other side, holding back the long, intricate braid that Rosalie did.

Nessie begins to sob into the bowl, and Edward takes it from her as she falls back into the pillows, tears running down her red cheeks. I let myself forget about her fever and I take her into my arms. She wraps herself around me, and I take the towel from her nightstand and wipe the streak of crimson from her bottom lip.

 _Blood?_ I look to Edward. He's staring at the contents of the metal bowl, his face a stony picture of puzzlement.

I hold Renesmee tighter as she cries, and I lean forward to see what he's seeing. The bowl is full of blood.

Jasper sets a glass of water on the table and says, "Well, at least she got down some of the blood Carlisle brought home. I didn't know you got her to eat anything at all."

"I didn't." Edward's black eyes flash up at me, asking a silent question. I shake my head. We never convinced her to eat anything.

The blood is Nessie's.

As if on cue, she coughs, taking the towel from my hand to hold it over her mouth. She pulls it away, revealing a nearly perfect circle of blood, so dark it's almost black, that contrasts starkly against the white cotton. I wonder what compelled me to grab a white towel.

Her eyes widen, and I watch her begin to panic. Already deep into my own, I hand her over willingly when Edward's reaches for her.

"Renesmee," he says seriously, looking into her eyes. "Sweetheart, did you drink any of the blood Granddad brought from the hospital? Did Mom give you any?"

He already knows the answer, it's not like he ever left her side.

She shakes her head slowly, trying to decipher the emotion in Edward's poker face. When she can't, she looks at me; and I wish I had more to give her than the pure horror that I know she sees plastered across my features.

Before anyone can react, Renesmee vomits more blood; and although she tries to contain it with the towel, the deep red color ends up staining her shirt, and Edward's, and her white comforter.

Edward tries to recuperate, but for the first time in my life, I see him at a loss for a solution. He's frantic for a moment, knowing that he needs to do something but not sure what exactly. Blood is everywhere; much more than should be possible.

After a millisecond of feeling completely hopeless, I recover, and I see the sweaty, crying, bloody mess that is Renesmee, curled up on her side. Edward is fumbling for his phone, swearing loudly when he doesn't immediately find it. Emmett tosses one to him, and it reminds me of the promise I made.

But I can't think anything other than _Renesmee._

Please. I need her to be okay. She has to be okay.

I chuck my phone at Jasper and bark, "Call Bella. Please, Jasper."

He nods and dials as Edward speaks in urgent hisses of sentences to Carlisle.

"Nessie?" I ask Renesmee gently, trying to pry her from the tight ball she's curled in. Her skin is hot to the touch still, despite the cold sweat she's broken into. She whines in agony and my blood runs cold. "Ness," I try again, "where does it hurt? Please, show me where." I try to take her hand but it's glued to her opposite arm, locking her in place.

"Of course I'm sure!" Edward explodes over the phone. "Carlisle—yes. Okay. Yes, as soon as possible." His voice softens then, and his eyes run over Nessie. "Dad," he chokes, "hurry. I don't know what to do."

Emmett and Jasper and I exchange looks. How bad do things have to be for Edward to sound desperate?

This is the only time I've seen fear in Emmett's eyes.

Edward hangs up the phone.

"Well?" I demand, "What do we do?"

He runs a hand through his hair. "We keep her calm, keep her conscious. Carlisle's leaving the hospital now. Did someone call Bella?"

"Yes." Jasper answers.

Renesmee moans again, and all of our heads snap down to look at her.

"Renesmee," Edward tries again, "Love, open your eyes. Where does it hurt?"

She doesn't answer but her crying continues, and Edward tries to gather her into his arms, but she recoils from his cool touch and her sobs get louder.

To say that I'm afraid would be an understatement. I was afraid when her temperature surpassed mine. This isn't fear I'm feeling anymore. It's more like terror, now.

Defeated, Edward motions for me to get her, as though he knows she'll let me. She fights me for only a moment, and then gives up, letting me untangle her. I almost give her to Edward, but some more blood dribbles from her mouth. Her skin pales beneath my fingertips; she goes limp in my arms, and she's silent. No one says anything for a second. Everything is peaceful; but then the panic begins, rising so quickly in the room that a bystander would have been suffocated.

* * *

 **AN :**

 **Cliffhanger! Sorry if you hate cliffhangers, I also hate cliffhangers when I'm reading a story. Not that that's going to stop me from writing them myself.**

 **Thank you so much for reading this. And thank you so so much to everyone who has reviewed. Nothing makes me happier than hearing that people actually care about what I'm writing. Your kind words mean so much to me.**

 **Ok, so I'm thinking two more chapters at the most.**

 **Tell me your thoughts, questions, concerns, opinions… I want to hear it all!**

 **xoxo,**

 **Vanessa**


	4. Chapter 4

_Edward_

How many times have I looked at my sleeping daughter and silently promised her: _I will never let anything hurt you._? Too many to count.

She's only been alive for eight years, and I've already failed her. Granted, I'd always assumed it would be an outside force that I'd be protecting her from; not her own body, turning against her.

Every person in the house shares thoughts very similar to my own. Every troubled mind, demanding to know how it is feasible for eight vampires and a werewolf to be rendered helpless by the common flu.

Bella shifts suddenly, curling up to my side on the small loveseat, her eyes never leaving Renesmee.

Our sleeping daughter, who as of this instant, could almost pass for normal. Her long hair is neatly brushed out; her pajamas and bed once again spotlessly clean. Thanks to Esme and Bella, all evidence of the bloody mess from yesterday: gone.

Well, all with the exception of the images that fill Jacob's head every time he closes his eyes. I want to hit him every time he imagines her they way she was yesterday. I don't need his thoughts to remember.

Although I would never admit this to Bella, there was a brief moment that I thought my baby was going to die. Emmett and Jasper had fully panicked, their minds also jumping to the worse-case scenario.

Our reactions went unwarranted in the end. Carlisle took one look at his granddaughter and undid the IV from the back of her hand, declaring the medication as the malefactor; vomiting blood being a side effect of her body rejecting the high doses of acetylsalicylate. Of course. Had I not been so quick to panic, I could have made that assumption on my own.

After Bella had run in, Rosalie right on her heels, a whole new sense of drama had been created. If Carlisle hadn't rushed in only moments later, I have no doubt Bella would have had a full-blown meltdown. First she yelled at Jacob, convinced that she could have been called sooner. Then Alice fell victim to her rage, and even Esme when she'd jumped to Alice's defense.

It took Carlisle's assuring hand on her shoulder for Bella to realize what she was doing, and she had immediately broken down and apologized before collapsing into tearless sobs in my arms. She was inconsolable until we got Renesmee under control.

All of today, thankfully, has been uneventful. Renesmee has been sleeping since yesterday's episode. At a loss for an immediate cure, Carlisle decided the best thing to do would keep her asleep; let her body recuperate by keeping a sedative in her system. Leaving us to do nothing but wait.

Even with everything under control, the Cullen household has never been so dysfunctional. Not even when Bella was pregnant. No one leaves. Not to hunt, not even Carlisle to work. He's called in sick today and yesterday.

Jacob is a wreck, but he's the only one whose faith in Renesmee never waivered, and for that I must give him credit. Although it may have just been sheer his refusal to accept the situation, it kept him sane.

But as he sits in his usual position beside Ness, I want to yell at him to stop thinking about her covered in her own blood. I would if I thought it would help, but the image seems to be burned into the back of his mind; thus, engraining it over and over into mine.

Needless to say, yesterday was an awful day. It was one of the few days that I would have traded my gift away in an instant. My brothers and I weren't the only ones that were momentarily convinced we were going to lose Renesmee.

Before she lost consciousness in Jacob's arms, her last semi-coherent thought was directed at me. _Daddy, I love you. I love Mom. I love Jacob. I love our family. More than anything. I need you to make sure everyone knows that._

And then she was gone. And although her heartbeat never faltered, I felt like I had lost her. And until she opens her eyes again, the hollow feeling in my chest isn't going to go away. It doesn't matter how many times my father reassures me that she will be okay.

She sleeps deeply, never stirring or making a sound. We've been using our abilities to be inhumanly silent, but I don't think it matters. With the amount of Triazolam running through her veins, not even Jacob's snoring could wake her up. But considering Jacob hasn't slept in days, that most likely won't be a problem.

As if reading my mind, Bella whispers, "Jacob," drawing his attention from Nessie. He raises his eyebrows at her in question, and Bella murmurs, "go eat something. Or take a nap. Please. The sight of you is exhausting." He rolls his eyes at her and gives her a half smile. _Me?_ He thinks, shaking his head. _At least I've changed my clothes in the past three days._ I have to agree with them both. We all need to get out.

But no one will. Not until Renesmee can come with us.

* * *

 _Renesmee_

Everyone has had the flu so bad it made them regret the day they were born. I just never thought it'd happen to me; because, I mean, I'm half-vampire. I'm a hybrid for god's sake.

So as you can probably imagine, the past few days have been totally bizarre and mildly embarrassing. I can't even count the number of times I've thrown up or cried hysterically.

And I don't how long it's been since I scared the shit out of Jacob and my father, but I'm pretty sure that happened recently. I think I almost died. I think I thought that I was going to die. Did Jacob think that I was going to die? Does he still?

I don't. The last thing I remember is Jacob's horrified face when I threw up blood. My blood. I remember pain; a steady pounding in my head, a deep ache in my stomach. I remember seeing horrified faces but and wanting to tell them not to worry, that I was okay, but I couldn't get the words out. They wanted to know where it hurt, and how they could make it better, and I couldn't tell them. All I could do was cry, helplessly, like a toddler. At least my thoughts are finally becoming clearer, sharper by the second.

For the first time in a while, I feel okay. Like myself; coherent and without the constant ache in my bones that I had been growing used to.

I want to wake up, but I can't make myself open my eyes. It's an unsettling transition between consciousness and unconsciousness. My mind is no longer as exhausted as my body seems to be. Maybe it's for the best; people are arguing. Faint voices that sound an awful lot like Dad and Jake. Fabulous. Just what we all need, I'm sure.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Alrighty, so here's another chapter.**

 **I know it's short, but I think getting up two whole chapters in one weekend is worth something!**

 **As always, thank you so much for reading and thank you for the kind reviews.**

 **FYI: I'm thinking the next chapter will be the last. Never fear, more stories on the way.**

 **Thanks guys!**

 **xoxo**

 **Vanessa**

 **One more FYI: I'm currently writing the next chapter and decided to add a** **little bit to Renesmee's POV in this one. Probably won't matter much in the long run, I just thought the story needed it.**


	5. Chapter 5

_Renesmee_

When I opened my eyes, the light coming through the cream-colored blinds forced me to immediately reclose them. I fervently hope that I didn't sleep through more than half of a sunny day like this. We only see a handful every year.

I prop myself up on my elbows, relieved to not feel the familiar pull of an IV in my hand. I bend my knees and pull them to my body so I'm sitting cross-legged, and I stretch my arms out above my head, testing my muscles. A little stiff, but other than that, I feel normal. Normal is amazing. I will never take normal for granted ever again.

I look around my room. For a millisecond I think I'm alone. And then on my right, beside my bed I see my father, with my mother curled up beside him on the loveseat from the living room. Dad looks at me warily, waiting. Mom smiles gently, her eyes holding silent concerns. Nobody moves immediately. They probably just want to make sure they won't get puked on again.

"Hey." I reassuringly return my mom's smile, confirming their notion that I am, in fact, okay.

In less than an instant they are both on my bed, their strong arms and sweet scents enclosing me.

"You scared me to death, Renesmee Cullen, and all I get is a _hey_?" My mom demands in between her quick kisses on every inch of my face.

"Good morning?" I try, and she laughs softly.

Dad holds me at arms length and examines me closely as he asks, "You really feel okay? Completely fine?"

"Never better." I promise him and pull them both to me, wrapping my arms around their necks the way I did when I was little. They hold me, and everything is perfect. "I love you's" are murmured into hair, and I don't remember the last time we did this.

In my deep reflecting, I remember something entirely different. "Where's Jacob?" I ask, not yet pulling away.

"Sleeping. In the other room." Mom answers, almost laughing. "He's going to be so upset. He hasn't let himself sleep in days, and the second I finally convince him to, you wake up."

Days? How long was I asleep?

"62 hours," Dad says nonchalantly, and now I do pull back, gawking at him. "You needed it." He says with the same casualty.

 _62_ _hours_? Almost three days of my life I'll never see again?

"You didn't miss much, sweetheart. Just us being miserable and snapping at each other." Mom promises, and it reminds me of something.

"I heard arguing. Not that long ago." I look at my dad. "Were you and Jacob arguing?"

He grimaces, and shakes his head. "It's nothing you need to worry about, love. It doesn't matter anymore."

I want to push him on it, but I don't. "Where is everyone?"

"Big house." Mom says. "Alice was pretty sure you would wake up at some point today, and they wanted to give you space. How about you take it easy for the rest of today, and we can go over tomorrow?"

I frown and glance at the clock. Four p.m., Damn. "Okay." No point in being difficult. At least I'll get to see Jake today.

Without waiting for permission or help, I pull the covers back and swing my legs off of the bed, standing in one swift motion. Not my finest idea. My vision goes black around the edges and the room spins around me. I grab the bedpost for balance and squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the feeling to pass.

I recover and stretch my legs, which feel scary similar to Jell-O after not having been used very frequently lately. Dad is beside me as I begin to walk, and I have to grab his arm for support. "Slow." He scolds gently, guiding me out of my room. I could definitely use a change of scenery.

Knowing how hungry I am, Dad sets me on a stool at the kitchen counter and Mom immediately pushes a glass of water towards me. I scowl at it. "Mom," I tell her, "I'm _starving_."

"Drink this first, let it settle. Then we'll get you something to eat."

I sip the water slowly as Dad pokes around in the fridge. "Eggs okay?" He asks, remembering my love for his omelets. He used to make me one every morning when I was little, back when they were trying to get me off of blood as much as possible. It had been a futile and unnecessary effort.

"I would eat dirt at this point," I say into my water glass, forcing myself to finish it. Mom stares at me expectantly, as if waiting for a sign to grab me and run to the sink. "I'm not going to throw up." I promise her and she relaxes, smiling.

Her fingers run through my hair and she kisses my head. "I know, baby."

We hear Jacob rise, stumbling out of the living room, probably still half-asleep. He emerges, and he probably looks worse than I do. Like he really hasn't slept in a week.

"Hey," he says, barely looking up. "When—" he starts to ask, and then he notices me. "Ness!" He yells, running towards me. "Jacob!" I half-mock his enthusiasm as he pulls me into his arms. My hands clasp together behind his neck and my legs wind around his waist without me having to think about it. It's such a practiced move; my body has memorized how to respond.

He spins me around and I can't help but laugh, my first joy-filled laugh in what seems like a lifetime. "Are you okay?" he demands, but doesn't give me time to answer. "When did you wake up? God dammit! Alice _promised_ that you wouldn't wake up until later. She said not until it was dark outside!" he babbled on, surveying me for damage, like he didn't believe I was standing in front of him. And then again he asks, "Are you okay?"

I smile, taking his face in between my hands. I stand on my toes and press my lips to his, his entire body relaxing. I pull away before I want to, fully aware of my parents' eyes. "I'm perfect. And you know Alice can't really see me. How could she have known for sure?" I take his hand and go back to my seat at the breakfast bar, pulling him onto the one beside me.

Dad sets a plate in front of me; my favorite veggie omelet, full of spinach and asparagus and mushrooms. Then he slides a plate to Jacob; on his an omelet similar to mine, only full of bacon and cheese instead.

Jacob grins, "Thanks, Eddie, you're the best." And my father only rolls his eyes, but I catch him smiling as he watches us eat. Mom announces that she's going to let Granddad know.

"Were you arguing with my dad?" I ask Jacob around a mouthful of egg.

"Probably. What occasion specifically are you referring to?"

"When I was asleep."

Jake heeds the warning look from my father and says, "It's possible."

"About what?" I ask, just curious at this point.

Again, they exchange a look I can't decipher.

"It doesn't matter." Jacob concludes eventually. "It was pointless. You're awake now, you're healthy, that's all that matters."

Dad seems satisfied with his answer, and I don't care enough to keep pushing. But Jake leans in and whispers, "But your mom was _totally_ on my side, for the record."

My father growls at him, but I laugh.

Mom returns with Granddad, and he barely looks at me before pulling me into a hug. He holds me to his chest, tightly, "You scared me, Renesmee." He almost scolds and my arms wrap around his middle. "Sorry," I say into his shirt.

He holds me at arms' length, now really looking at me. "How do you feel?"

"Totally fine." I tell him, and he holds his hand to my forehead. He nods to himself and then to my parents.

"Come sit." He guides me towards the living room, gesturing for my parents and Jake to follow. We sit on the two black couches and Granddad asks me, "Renesmee, do you know why you got sick?"

I shake my head. I stopped questioning why this happened, or why I got better, the point is that I did.

"Well sweetheart, our theory was that this was just the common flu."

I stare at him. "The flu doesn't do this."

"To some people, it does."

"Yeah but, not _young_ people. And especially not half-vampire hybrids."

"Well that's where Jacob's thought comes in. We think that because your body functions faster and more efficiently than a human's, it spread the virus through you much too quickly. Your immune system, I think, is probably more human. It couldn't keep up with the rate the illness moved through your bloodstream."

I nod. That makes sense. "So, you're saying that this could happen again. Being immortal doesn't make me immune, I'm just as likely to get sick as a human?"

His eyes narrow in thought, and he and my father share a look.

"It was just the flu this time." I continue, "Anything more serious would have killed me. Will kill me, next time."

My mother blanches, but Carlisle seems unfazed. "If there is a next time, we will know what to expect. In the meantime, Edward thinks we should make contact with Nahuel. Surely he has come across something like this before, perhaps he can provide some guidance."

So they have no answers.

"Not really, no." My father admits. "But we'll take precautions. Now that we know, we can be more careful." Mom and Jake nod in agreement.

"Oh no." I shake my head. I need to nip this in the bud. "I know what you guys are thinking. But this isn't an excuse to keep me locked up in the house all of the time, so you can be sure I'm safe. Nothing is changing around here. I'm scared too, but I need to continue to live my life. Okay, so maybe I won't hang out in hospitals or Ebola quarantine shelters, but I can't live in fear of little germs in everyday life that could potentially make me sick. I need _some_ normalcy."

I finish my rant, Dad narrows his eyes at me, half-smiling. "Told you." Mom mutters.

"So you propose we do nothing?" Dad asks.

I think about it for a second and nod. "Yes. Except we should visit Nahuel, at some point."

Dad is getting ready for his own rant, but Mom doesn't let him start. "We'll talk about this later, okay? Renesmee, love, you should get some rest."

She isn't serious. "Mom, I've been sleeping for three days."

"You can never have too much sleep."

Jacob can barely keep his eyes open, so I say, "You're right. Come on," I nudge Jacob. "Jake, you look awful. Let's take a nap."

He nods and we stand together, and to my surprise, no objections are made. Although I'm sure my father's eyes are shooting daggers at Jacob's back.

I turn into the hall and smile to my parents and grandfather. "I love you." I say to no one in particular. They smile back, "Love you," And then they launch into a conversation on how they plan to keep me healthy for the next couple of centuries.

Jacob collapses onto my bed, taking up most of it. I shove him far enough to crawl into the covers beside him, resting my head on his chest. He buries his face in my hair, holding me to him. "Jacob?" I whisper, to see if he's still awake.

"Hmm?" He murmurs, trying to stay conscious long enough to hear what I say. I breathe in the scent of his shirt, my favorite smell in the world. Pine trees and mint and… just Jacob. There are no words to describe the exact way he smells. It's like trying to describe the different shades of blue to a blind person.

"I love you." I tell him, tracing circles on his jaw with my fingernail.

"I love you." He promises, and I can't help but smile. He never says 'too'. I've never heard him respond with 'I love you too'. And he never skips the 'I'.

That would be number twelve if I ever had to write out a list of all of the reasons I love this man.

Number one would be this: lying with my head on his chest, listening to the steady pound of his heartbeat. Two of mine for every one of his. It thuds rhythmically, with the promise to never falter or fall behind.

I want to tell him about how my heart can beat twice as fast as his but when you put them together like this, they seem to make a single sound. One heart.

I want to tell him that he doesn't need to assure me that he loves me or that he's never going to leave me, because since the day he first held me to his chest, his heartbeat has been making me that promise.

I could tell him, but he's already snoring. That's okay, when he wakes up I will make sure he hears every cheesy and cliché thought in my head.

We have forever, after all.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Alrighty guys, that wraps this story up. Thank you so so much for reading and reviewing, and I hope my slightly hurried ending wasn't too disappointing. It's just that I'm working on this new story that I'm super excited about and I hate going back and forth, so I needed this to be over.**

 **As always, tell me what you think, and thanks again for sticking with me through this story!**

 **xoxo,**

 **Vanessa**


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